10 November 2023 , 17:02
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Strictly Come Dancing star Janette Manrara detailed her experience of getting mum-shamed when she decided to return to work after welcoming her baby.
The star and her husband Aljaž Škorjanec welcomed Lyra in July. Not long after, Janette decided to return to work while Aljaž looked after their baby at home. However, her decision upset many fans who claimed her baby was too young for her to be getting back into work.
"I was excited and I felt really empowered being a working mum for the first time. But some people had other views. I have. had a few negative comments on social media about going back to work," she explained on BBC Morning Live. She proceeded to read out a few rude comments from mum-shamers.
One read: "I know mums have to work, but I personally think this is too soon," while another said: "I wish celebs wouldn't normalise mums going back to work when their babies are tiny." Janette went on to defend herself after people criticised her choice to return to work.
Janette welcomed Lyra in July (Instagram/@jmanrara)
She talked about being mum-shamed for going back to work (Instagram/bbcmorninglive)"Comments like these do give me a strange sense of guilt because I do spend time away from Lyra," she said. "But I also think parents' situations are all completely different and they must do what's best for their children. In my situation, it works in my family. But I don't understand why some parents' choices are shamed just because they don't conform to parental stereotypes."
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The 39-year-old Cuban-American dance star shot to fame in the UK back in 2013 when she made her debut on Strictly Come Dancing as a professional. She has since left the main show to become the presenter of support show It Takes Two - which she has helmed since 2021.
Janette does other presenting work and September marked her return to the BBC’s morning show Morning Live. Two months ago, Janette took to social media to share her excitement about returning to work by posting an endearing photo of her husband and daughter watching her on their TV screen at home.
She wrote: “It was so nice to be back on @bbcmorninglive today w/ @gethincjones and the whole gang! But what made it extra special, is that Lyra got to watch her Mami doing her thing at work for the first time w/ her cousins Zala and Tisa. So special to know that they were all watching together at home! This photo melted my heart. I cannot wait to cuddle her all day now! To all the working moms out there…. You’re incredible and we’ve got this.”
While Janette’s message was innocuous enough, some TV fans were enraged by her words - and took to social media to slam her. One bitter critic grumbled: "Do you realise you have a child to look after, you didn’t have her so you could pass her over to your husband 23 hours a day."